


Blood in the cut

by SatanVersace



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Angst, Angst and Humor, Beauregard & Caleb Widogast Friendship, Caleb Widogast Has Issues, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Found Family, Gay Disaster Beauregard (Critical Role), Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Lesbian Beauregard (Critical Role), Mighty Nein as Family, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mollymauk Lives Fest, Multi, Past Child Abuse, Problems, Protective Nott (Critical Role), i love these dumbass kids, its my duty to write shitty high school aus, stealing cars
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-05-29 17:00:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19404424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SatanVersace/pseuds/SatanVersace
Summary: The only thing more miserable than moving to a new place against her will was the prospect of joining a high school in the middle of her senior year, knowing absolutely nobody. Which was, of course, going to happen a week from the present, Beau remembered. Oh, schools just about loved her. That's why she got expelled seven times in her life.





	1. Curious beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Your typical fucked up teens au, but with a little twist.

Beau has been absentmindedly staring out of the window of the cobalt blue Tesla for what seemed like ages before she even saw the first sign. " _Trostenwald 231_ " it read, and she closed her eyes.

This was going to be an absolute nightmare.

Next to her in the driver's seat was Dairon - her new supervisor, or the guard in another house arrest she was going to unwillingly endure, this time away from crime syndicates of a big city like Zadash. Dairon was a dark skinned, elven woman. Lean and muscular, with piercing eyes and a strong sense of right and wrong.

" _The ideal person to set you straight, Beauregard_." She could almost hear the voice of her social worker, Xenoth, proclaim in her head. It was true, of course, because Dairon was a no bullshit kind of person, with policies and boundaries and borders that would infuriate someone like Beau.

The elf has been calm the entire ride, hands holding the steering wheel with confidence, eyes set on the road.

 _'It will be hard to distract her'_ Beau thought _'but hell knows I will try.'_

As time went by, Beau got increasingly more bored. She tried looking out of the window again, but the landscape was unremarkable ; she tried listening to music, but her favorite songs sounded boring and lacked the youthful anger all of a sudden ; the low hum of the car engine was driving her insane.

A month ago she wouldn't have thought that her life can go to shit even more, but it happened - she got sent away a second time, even farther. To a small town in the middle of nowhere, with no prospect of coming back to Zadash or even leaving. Beau hated it when people made decisions for her, and yet it kept happening. How ironic.

The only thing more miserable than moving to a new place against her will was the prospect of joining a high school in the middle of her senior year, knowing absolutely nobody. Which was, of course, going to happen a week from the present, Beau remembered. Oh, schools just about _loved_ her. That's why she got expelled seven times in her life.

-

  
  


She must've fallen asleep sometime during the ride, because next thing she knew, they were pulling into the driveway of a small, outrageously clean looking house.

Beau didn't bother waiting for Dairon to fully stop the car before she opened the door and almost jumped out, stretching her arms trying to settle down the dull ache in her shoulders. She looked around, and immediately deemed the neighborhood just as boring as she expected it to be - rows of houses just like the ones she was about to move into, neat grass in the frontyards and scandalously even curb. She sighed quietly.

"What's wrong, Beauregard?" Dairon's voice called out from behind her.

"Should I make a list or...?"

"I would prefer it if you helped me with unpacking, instead." She cut Beau off before she could even start to get on her nerves. This woman was good.'

She kicked a stone and watched as it skipped across the pavement with a soft noise, before getting her hands out of her pockets and walking over.

She took the boxes Dairon passed to her, and then (not without fumbling with the keys for a little) entered the house she would be living in for an undetermined period of time. It was barren, plain, uninteresting. A little living room, kitchen with a granite counter, simple bathroom, already furnished. Beau went upstairs, setting down the boxes with Dairon's possesions in the woman's bedroom. Beauregard herself didn't own much - just a few pieces of clothing, a few uninteresting books, boxing gloves, phone, earbuds... Her father sent her away without a chance to collect all her belongings, but that was okay. They reeked of Kamordah, anyways.

"I'll be in my room if you need anything!" She hollered, upon hearing the sound of footsteps downstairs. She wasn't sure Dairon heard her, but she hoped she wouldn't be needed, anyways.

Her room was painted a light shade of blue (by the gods, why did her supervisors have an obsession with that color). The furniture was an average set from IKEA - a pseudo uniquely shaped bed and bedside table, simple desk and a wardrobe with a mirrored sliding door. Great. Now she could also see herself every time she entered. Just what a piece of shit like her needed.

She dropped her duffel bag in the middle of the floor unceremoniously and plopped down onto the bed. It was actually quite comfortble, but she'd never admit that.

The next few hours she spent plotting an escape, or, at the least, how to make her room look shitty without commiting to it. Commitment was the first step towards acceptance, and she would never accept the fate that has befallen her.

Beau ended up taping a picture of a topless model onto the mirror and smirking at what little triumph she'd achieved.

-

The calm before the storm went by unremarkably - Beau spent her time trying to figure out the new neighborhood by jogging (and ended up getting lost almost immediately), ignored Dairon's attempts at conversation as much as she could, watched dumb youtube videos and browsed the web for opinions on her new high school. Apparently it was a shithole.

But then again, probably what she deserved.

-

The Dreaded Monday finally came, and with it an uneasy feeling in Beau's gut. She hauled herself out of bed at seven o'clock, put her hair up into a bun, grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a tank top that smelled okay enough. She then splashed cold water onto her face and went downstairs to grab breakfast, though she wasn't hungry whatsoever.

Dairon obviously noticed her lack of appetite as she caught a glimpse of Beau on her way out to work.

"Look, Beauregard, if you're trying to starve yourself to make me feel guilty, it's not going to work."

"Well" She replied, faking the best shit-eating grin she could under these circumstances "I haven't thought of that, but now that you've given me the idea..."

The glare she received from her supervisor expressed more than a thousand words.

"I know you don't want to go to school here, and I understand that. " She said, softening up a little, all of a sudden. "If you want to talk about it, I am always willing to listen."

"Bullshit." Beau muttered, finally taking a bite of her food, simply to avoid more awkward conversation. Dairon sighed deeply, looking down. It was the truth, and Beau knew it. Nobody in the universe wanted to listen to her stupid, bratty problems. And if there was someone willing, she almost felt bad for the poor bastard.

"As you wish. I am leaving now." The woman responded, opening the front door. Just when Beau thought she was gone, she turned around. "Please, have fun and be reasonable." She added.

The teenager finished her breakfast in near silence, only accompanied by the regular ticking of the clock. At seven fourty she set out, phone in hand, checking google maps everytime she was about to turn a corner. Miraculously, and to her own dismay, she didn't get lost, and almost fifteen minutes later stood before the high school she was now, unfortunately, attending.

' _This is your last chance to turn away and book it, Beauregard Lionett. Maybe become a strawberry harvester in Xhorhas. If there are any strawberries in Xhorhas.'_ She thought.

-

Walking in, she found out that it wasn't as bad as it could've been- sure, she got a few funny stares for being the New Girl, but people mostly seemed not to pay her any mind. (Thankfully) It took her about ten minutes or so to find the principal's office, where she was supposed to go right away to get her scheduled awkward tour of the school with a random person who would rather be in advanced calculus than interact with Beau at all.

She raised her hand to knock on the door, her insides twisting into knots.

But before her hand even made contact with the wood, the door opened dramatically, and next thing she saw was a blur of blue.

"Ohmygosh you must be the new girl!" Chirped the person, who now stood still enough before Beau for her to recognize as a tiefling girl. "You're a little late but that's not important right nooow because I've gotta show you the school! I'm literally so excited!" Truth be told, she was kind of adorable; a round face splattered with freckles, neat horns that curled like little buns on the sides of her head, adorned with elaborate jewelry. She was wearing a puffy, dark green dress. The color went well with her skin.

"Uhh... Hi." Beau said awkwardly, subconciously cracking her knuckles one by one, a habit that her mother would describe as unacceptable and not ladylike.

The tiefling girl, however, didn't seem to mind at all. "Hiiiii! I'm Jester!" She introduced herself in her high pitched, heavily accented voice. "What's your name?!"

Before Beau even got a chance to respond, Jester grabbed her hand and started quite literally dragging her through the hallway. She was surprisingly strong for her small frame.

"The name's Beau." She managed to respond.

"That's really pretty!" Jester giggled, skipping down the hall.

This was already shaping up to be interesting.

The tiefling talked about the school; telling her how big the gym is, and how nice the teachers are (except for that one guy), and where each class takes place... Beau tuned it all out, finding it at least annoying. If this was her new life, she wanted out.

When she came back to reality, she found Jester staring at her intently, and realized that the girl had probably asked her a question a moment ago. ' _Fuck. Shit._ '

"...Yes...?" She answered lamely, not knowing what the question was, even.

"That's lovely! We sit at the table in the far left corner of the cafeteria. I'm sure you'll love them, they're very charming!" Jester leaned in closer to her, looking around as if there was someone spying on them. "You'll meet my boyfriend! Well... he doesn't really know he's my boyfriend yet, but I know he likes me! He always helps me with homework and he's so nice... ohmygosh you'll totally love him!" She brought her hands together and puffed out her chest a little, looking up towards the ceiling.

Beau didn't know how to respond to neither - the flood of words or the straight nonsense. But it seemed like she just got invited to eat lunch with a group of people who probably have as many psychopatic tendencies as Jester.

"Why are you looking at me funny? Do I have something on my face?" Jester cocked her head to the side like a cute little animal would do, her eyes going big.

"Nah... It's just, uh, the accent." She waved her hands in front of her face vaguely. "Unusual to hear in the empire." Beau breathed out, proud of a good excuse.

"Oooh!" The tiefling's ears perked up a little at that. "Well, I'm actually from Nicodranas, you know, I'm an exchange student! But everybody still loves me because I'm very active in the student body, you know? So I get to do these tours for people! Isn't that wonderful?!"

"...Sure." Beau muttered, standing there awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

"Anyways! I have to go to class right now, do you know where your first period is?" She asked, and Beau nodded. "That's very good! See you at lunch, Beau, I love you!"

And just like that, with a flash of blue, she was gone. Beau looked down, only to find a crumpled up piece of paper she had apparently been gripping for gods know how long. Well, that was bizzare. She didn't even feel a thing.

She straightened the faded green paper. It looked like some kind of a flyer, big, pink letters taking most of the place up, and a drawing of a cloaked figure at the bottom.

"DO YOU NEED A NEW GOD?

DON'T KNOW WHERE TO TURN?

OR MAYBE YOU JUST LIKE DRAWING DICKS ON THINGS?!

WELL, CONSIDER WORSHIPPING

THE TRAVELLER!

(HE'S THE TITS)

  
  


What the actual fuck.

-

After all, class turned out not to be so bad, either. She muttered an introduction that didn't matter, because nobody cared about her name, sat in the last row and tried not to draw more attention than necessary.

She listened to the teacher drone on about the subject, took some notes... No fatal accidents so far, so it seemed like she wouldn't get into a fist fight today.

-

Eventually, lunch came around, along with a sensation of extreme unease and an urge to flee.

Beau contemplated grabbing lunch and eating it in a bathroom stall like a loser whom nobody likes, which perfectly described her current social situation, but she figured that if she somehow didn't manage to escape in the near future, it would be good to at least have a second option. (there's only so much eating in a restroom a person can do).

She took a deep breath, following the crowd of students into the cafeteria.

After getting food, she was confronted with yet another challenge of the day – finding a spot to sit where nobody would mind her presence. She walked aimlessly between the tables, receiving only uncomfortable stares and the classic 'sorry but I need a place for my bag'. Of course, it was just what she had expected to happen. She was about to turn back and make a beeline for the restroom when she heard a familliar, accented voice shout.

"Beau! Over here!"

Upon looking in the direction Jester's voice came from, she saw the tiefling girl, right where she said she would be, waving her over like crazy, while a bunch of uncomfortable looking individuals tried best to ignore everyone staring at them. Beau did her best not to pay attention to all the eyes that were on her as she made her way to the table in the far left corner.

Jester sat there with (presumably) her friends, which included another, purple tiefling, whose whole outfit almost gave her a sensory overload, a half orc who looked like he had just answered wrong to question in a subject he was confident in, and a goblin girl who was preoccupied with trying to peek at the book held by the guy next to her – a human redhead with dark circles under his eyes suggesting he hadn't slept for at least a month.

The blue tielfing scooted over, pushing the half orc to the side. "C'mon Fjord, we gotta give her some place!" Fjord rolled his eyes subtly, but obeyed, and soon there was a spot just big enough for Beau on the edge of the bench.

Beau silently sat down in the spot, not knowing what to do.

"Guysssss, this is Beau! She's new, so be nice to her!" Jester announced, and the human girl couldn't help but cringe a little. "Beau, this is Fjord" she gestured to the half orc, who gave her a nod of acknowledgement. (She immediately decided that he's the least annoying) "This miracle over there" she pointed at the purple eyesore – "Is Molly! He's really cool and he can read fortunes, it's like... super legit!”

"It's true" He shrugged. "I can offer you a tarot reading if you want, darling." Beau's eyes narrowed. And she thought Jester was kind of annoying.

"Full offense, but I think that's bullshit."

He held up a hand to his chest, gasping theatrically. "Oh no! Whatever shall I do?! Ms. Boring called my magic illegitimate!"

Before Beau could deck him in the face properly, the redhead looked up from his book, sending Molly a glare. "Mollymauk, don't say that word, please. Not in public." He had a strong, Zemnian accent.

Magic was a touchy subject among the masses, everyone knew that. It's been dying out for centuries, even though long, long ago it was vital to Wildemount. The only person in the empire who wielded magic anymore was Trent Ikithon, a super high-up motherfucker. Stuff like that was definietly _not_ a casual conversation topic.

Mollymauk shrugged and grinned triumphantly at Beau, showing off golden fangs placed among his teeth. She hated that guy.

"Aaanyways. This is Caleb! He's reeaaally smart!" Jester continued, unphased by the bickering. Caleb didn't so much as look at Beau, nose deep in the pages of his book. "And next to him is Nott! I hope you're okay with goblins because if you're not, we're going to ask you to leave, this is a no discrimination zone.”

"They're chill." Beau hasn't actually, in her sheltered life, encountered a goblin yet, but they weren't treated with much respect in the empire, so she understood the concern.

Jester's expression immediately turned back to excitement. "Welcome to the Mighty Nein, Beau! We're like... the coolest friend group in Trostenwald!”

She doubted that. "There's only five of you."

"It's an inside joke, unpleasant one." Mollymauk replied. " _Nein_ means no in Zemnian." Great, he just had to mansplain something to her.

"I'm not dumb." She grumbled, furrowing her brows.

"I really thought so." He said casually, looking at his fingernails, and Beau gave him the bird.

"Hi guys." Said a new voice all of a sudden, and everyone except Caleb nearly jumped, startled. It was soft and thoughtful. "Did you save a seat for me?"

Beau looked up, and felt blush immediately creep up her neck and face. She could only stare at the miracle of a girl before her – she was tall, very tall, easily six foot something, well built, with thick, muscular arms and legs (she could probably bench press Beau without an issue). She had pale, almost white skin and a storm of tangled, braided, black hair which gradually faded to white at the bottom. Her eyes were gorgeous – one teal and the other a darker shade of blue, just like the sky after a downpour.

"Of course!" Mollymauk replied casually, allowing her to sit next to him, and immediately putting an arm around her. "This is Yasha – Yasha, this new addition to our group is -"

She cut him off before he could introduce her, leaning in slightly. "I'm Beau, but you can call me anytime." She winked, trying very hard to be flirtatious.

"I'm... sorry, but I don't have your number." Yasha responded, looking down, and Jester giggled. Mollymauk facepalmed at Beau's awkward attempt at flirting, and whispered something into Yasha's ear, at which the girl's eyes widened and she blushed furiously.

Beauregard realized she fucked up. "Oh. Fuck, I didn't know you guys were like... together." It seemed, however, that she's made the situation even worse, because Molly almost collapsed to the ground in a laughing fit, and Yasha had to haul him back up.

"Yasha's his adopted sister." Fjord chimed in, explaining. It was the first time he actually spoke in Beau's presence. He had a pleasant, polite voice. "That'd be kinda gross, don't y'agree?"

"Yeah, totally." She nodded awkwardly.

"Doesn't stop Avantika from wanting to fuck you!" Jester said happily, throwing a french fry at him.

Beau almost choked on her food. "Excuse me, what?!"

-

Lunch passed eventually, the group mainly making small talk and jabbing at each other in a joking (or not) manner. Beau was surprised how fast they seemed to accept her, but then again, they were probably just a mashup of losers who had nowhere to sit, so they sat together. She got an invite to hang out with them in the auditorium during the breaks (Molly's the theatre club's president, so he has the keys, Jester explained) and Jester's phone number ( if she needed anything).

The rest of the day was uneventful, and as the final bell rang, she was super ready to leave.

As she was making her way back to the house (very reluctantly), she heard someone come up behind her, and she clenched her fists, ready to throw a punch. She turned around just in time to deck the person in the face.

"Ow! Fuck!" She heard Fjord's voice, and did a double take. Indeed, it was the half orc, now reeling back in surprise. "What the hell, Beau?!"

"Sorry! Reflexes, you know." She apologized. "I get nervous when I hear a motherfucker sneak up behind me."

" 'S fine, I understand. We all have our own shit, y'know." He shook his head. "Just don't go 'round punchin' folks on the street, next time. You goin' this way?"

Beau nodded.

"Yea, me too. I live on the Loch, actually. On a boat." Fjord explained as they started walking.

"With that crazy kind of sister that wants to fuck you?" She smirked, side eyeing him.

"It's not my fault she's kinda fucked up. Things happen, y'know." Beau couldn't contain her laughter, and Fjord realized what he'd just said. "Not like that, I mean! Nothing ever happened between us. I'm a virgin." He blurted out, which made the situation even worse. Beau almost doubled over.

She finally contained herself after a few minutes, wiping tears away from her face.

"Gods, that was so fucking funny."

"Depends." He looked at her pleadingly. "Please, don't tell Jester."

She mimed the motion of locking her mouth and throwing the key away.

-

When she walked into the house, Dairon was busy making dinner.

"How was your first day at school, Beauregard?" She asked. Gods, that woman was absolutely terrible at talking to teenagers.

"Horrible." She lied, and the corners of Dairon's mouth almost curled into a smile.

  
  



	2. Ups and Downs (mostly downs)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where it gets interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!

On the same day, unexpectedly, Beau received several friend requests on facebook, all from members of the friend group she apparently now belonged to. (She got one even from Caleb, who didn't seem like the person who would use any social media at all.)

Her finger hovered a few seconds over the 'accept' button next to 'Mollymauk Tealeaf' but she eventually pressed it. Immediately, she got added to a groupchat, conspicuously named 'M9'.

 **the cute one:** hiiii Beau youre officially in it now!!

 **Beauregard:** wow im honored

 **baddest bitch in town:** you should be.

That little bit of conversation almost raised her spirits, but, of course, at that moment, Dairon just had to call her downstairs. Beau slowly came down the stairs, making sure to look the most uncomfortable she possibly could, and then emphasize the last step with a hard stomp of her leg.

Her supervisor stood in the hallway, seemingly ready to go somewhere. She stared at her with those piercing, uncanny eyes, as if she were lecturing her.

"I'm going to IKEA and I was wondering if you'd like to go with me." Dairon explained. It was the most casual thing in the world, yet the dryness of her voice always made Beau feel as if she were speaking to at least a minister. "I'm sure you've noticed the lack of decoration, which is, of course, justified by our short stay here so far. I'm meaning to fix that."

Beauregard returned her stare, but Dairon's expression was hard to read, as were her intentions. But it dawned on the teenager that she actually had nothing else to do, since she didn't feel like getting lost again, or staring out of the window at the painfully unremarkable neighborhood, or, lastly, burning her eyes in front of the smartphone screen.

"Sure." She nodded, starting to go back up. "Just let me grab my things. And don't make it weird!"

The trip to the store was spent in a tense atmosphere, with both the human and the elf entertained only by the sound of silence, which meant not entertained at all. Beau leaned away from Dairon as much as she could, legs included. She was aware it was immature behavior, but it was about as much as she could do in terms of rebellion at the moment. Her supervisor seemed to know exactly what was going on, but didn't say anything, still. Only occasionally glanced over when she thought Beau wasn't going to notice.

Suprisingly enough, Dairon not only put up with her shenanigans (setting a preppy letterboard on the display to say 'fuck the fucking cops', punching pillows to test the level of fluffiness, and also kicking over a good amount of display chairs) but let her pick out whatever she wanted, and Beau found herself taking a few pillows, a lamp for her desk and a corkboard. Though there was clear annoyance in the elf's eyes, the girl swore she noticed a hint of a smile dancing in the corners of her mouth.

At the checkout, Beau took out her wallet, ready to pay for her stuff, but a darker hand stopped her own in a swift motion.

"Don't be ridiculous, Beauregard, I'll pay for it." Dairon said, very calmly.

"I can pay for my shit." She protested.

"You can, but _I_ will." Insisted the elf.

And so she payed, leaving Beau wondering about many things.

Back in the car, Beauregard was ready to act the same way as during the previous drive, but the woman broke the silence before she could return to her brooding demeanor.

"Why are you acting like that?" She asked, still composed and serene, but an intent observer like Beau could notice an amount of uncertainty under that mask.

"I-" She cut off, voice dying in her throat a little bit."Why are you _doing_ this?"

"Doing what? Excuse me, but it seems like I may have misunderstood-"

"Why are you playing tricks on me? Buying me shit, acting all nice." She asked, at last, voice trembling, looking at Dairon coldly and with distrust. _'You should control your temper, young lady'_ her father sneered in her mind.

"I'm not _playing tricks,_ Beauregard." She seemed mildly insulted. "I'm trying to make you feel comfortable. Your room is not a prison cell. You deserve gifts and you deserve to feel good in a home." Beau was honestly impressed with her ability to remain composed throught this, because she herself was shaking, and she tried to contained herself as best as she could, but she wasn't any good at it.

"Well, I'm not supposed to feel good! It's supposed to be a fucking punishment and I deserve to feel fucking shitty and rot here because I can never be a perfect fucking daughter!" She snapped, and Dairon furrowed her brows, staring at the road as if she were trying to see something invisible. _'I'm not gonna apologize, I'm not gonna apologize...'_

"It seems like you're tired after a long day at school. Maybe tomorrow you'll speak with a little more sense." She cut Beau off. The discussion ended at that.

They both knew she wasn't going to speak with a little more sense.

Not tomorrow, and probably not ever.

-

In the evening, the sky clouded over, and so a downpour came down on the ground. Beau was sitting on the desk and staring out of the window. One could think she was made of bronze if not for the inconsistent tapping of her fingers on the smooth wood.

-

Most of the week passed by very uneventfully, with Beau and Dairon dancing around each other. After Beau's explosion on Monday, the elf seemed to back off (if backing off even more was even possible), and the human was glad to respond with silence. It was like having a college roommate except she's like a hundred years old and tries to be your mother.

She went jogging a few times after that, and settled for punching pillows. She made a mental note to eventually invest in a punching bag. Some progress with her new friend group was made, and she was almost content with it, but was, frankly, keeping herself from enjoying it too much. Commitment was uncalled for.

-

It wasn't until Friday until something interesting actually happened.

"Soo..." Jester said into Beau's ear, coming up from behind and and avoiding an elbow to the face from the startled girl. The Mighty Nein were all hanging out at the auditorium, Caleb helping Molly with english homework, Nott trying to steal a button off of Fjord's shirt, Yasha generally quiet and gorgeous as always. "You've been here for a week and you're like... my best friend- Shut up, Fjord!" she pouted, stomping her leg on the floor in response to the look that the half orc sent her. "At least she doesn't make fun of me!"

"'M sorry, didn't mean to-"

"Shhhhhh, I know that and I love you." Beau was, once again, impressed with how quickly the blue tiefling's mood was able to shift. "Well, anyways, as I was saying" She continued, cheery once again "What would you say to a sleepover? Welll, it's more like a camping trip but like... for a day. It's not dangerous or anything and-"

"What she means to say is that there is a small island on the Loch, and we sometimes go out there to spend time together." Caleb cut her off, yet again proving that even if one thought he wasn't paying attention, he definietly was.

"Is there gonna be booze?" Beau asked, deadpan. She didn't know what to make of all this.

"Of course, dear, who do you take us for?!" Molly chimed in, and she shot him a glare.

"Well, there's a list in your case, shall I recite it?" At that, he didn't seem even a little insulted, moreso the corners of his mouth curled upwards.

"The island is also very haunted!" Nott shouted, making all of them jump, since her voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard. She threw her hands in the air and breathed in deeply.

"No, it's not." Yasha protested, rubbing two fingers along the bridge of her nose.

Beau looked back at Jester, who was staring at her intently. "I promise it's gonna be like... super fun! Please please please-"

She couldn't turn down the owner of those pleading eyes.

"Alright, alright... I'm just gonna ask my sup- " she coughed, cutting herself off. "My mom. Yeah."

"That totally didn't sound suspicious." Molly snarked, and Beau flipped him off.

"Where do we meet and when?" She asked.

"At Fjord's house! Six'o'clock, sharp! I'll send you the address." Jester pulled her into one of her very tight and circulation-cutting hugs. "I'm so glad you're gonna be there! We're going to have so much fun you guys!"

"You're crushing my lungs..." Beau rasped in response.

-

Surprisingly enough, Dairon agreed almost immediately. Maybe she just wanted to have a night off from parenting, or maybe she thought that ' _socializing is good'_ as Xenoth would often say.

When asked about it, she simply responded -

"Why not, you're not a _prisoner_ here, after all."

Beau highly doubted that, but she didn't say anything. Most of their conversations ended like that.

She took her duffel bag, stuffed a sleeping bag inside, and was just about to pull on the loose panel on the floor to pull out a bottle of wine – only to be reminded that this wasn't Kamordah and the extent of her freedom was both vast and ridiculously limited at the same time. So she just sighed, kicked the leg of the bed just hard enough for it to hurt and choked back a scream of frustration.

  
  


-

The time to go eventually came around, and she cautiously followed google maps to Fjord's house. (Well, more like boat, so the address was, quite literally, the docks.)

It was nearing dusk, and colors had just started lazily spilling across the clouded over sky. The climate in the empire was typically cold and (in places) even harsh, but she found this evening to not be as chilly as the ones in her hometown, or even the ones she's spent sulking in Zadash on the roof of the former monastery. The trees were swaying gently in the wind, and it was quite captivating, but lacked pronounciation. There was no noise, no thrumming, no commotion like in the heart of a big city.

Maybe eventually she would get used to it, but not that day. That day, she was still reckless, rash, blunt Beau.

Getting to the docks near the lake was an easy task, and proved not to be very time consuming, either. Within fifteen minutes she saw the docks, a small, sleepy place. There weren't many boats, and commotion was minimal, so she quickly spotted the loud group of teenagers standing on one of the piers, chatting animatedly with a tall, human man.

She got greeted more or less enthusiastically by most of the Mighty Nein, and then introduced to Fjord's adoptive father, Vandren.

She shook hands with him, a little reluctantly. It could be her overall disrespect for authority speaking, but he seemed suspicious. He had a strange yellow glint in his eye and smelled just like the sea, despite of being many miles inland. She didn't mention it, however. To his credit, he was just borrowing a rowboat to a pack of teenagers.

"Call me if anything bad happens." He reminded Fjord "And please, don't sink the boat."

"Have a little more faith in me, will ya?" The half orc retorted, but smiled fondly.

"Caleb is with us, noting bad can happen!" Jester shouted, and Caleb made a point to shield his face with a book.

"That's real reassuring." Vandren chuckled, winking at the tiefling. "Have fun." With that, he left them alone on the pier.

They eventually all settled into the rowboat, which took a little adjusting and a few trials, and it was still a tight squeeze. Beau found herself in the back next to Caleb, to her dismay. Jester and Yasha were rowing, since they were, without question, the two strongest people on the boat.

Most of the crossing passed, the Loch unnaturally peaceful and serene for a body of water. The dark liquid sloshed around the boat, and a sense of unease crept on Beau. She understood now why Nott deemed this place haunted. The rest of the group were chatting, save, of course, for the two humans in the back.

A bit hesitant, Beau eventually attempted conversation. " What are you reading?"

"Sorry, what?" He asked when she shook his arm. He looked mildly irritated.

" What are you reading?"

"Oh, this?" He motioned towards the book. " I'm not really reading it. Just using it as a shield, mostly." He then shrugged. "Well, I've read it a million times. Jester got it at a smut shop during a school trip to Zadash." Beau's eyebrows immediately arched upwards.

He handed her the book, and upon further inspection, it turned out to be called 'Tusk Love'. A more than suggestive cover adorned with golden trimming showed an unnaturally muscular half-orc with huge tusks holding a small, half naked tiefling woman in his arms.

"Seriously?"

" _Ja._ It's a tradition in the group. I suggest you read it, you'll understand most of our inside jokes immediately."

" That's super corny." She commented, but stuffed the book into her bag nonetheless.

-

When they arrived onto the shore of the small island, the sun was already starting to set, huge and looming in the sky. The island was misty, and Beau (curse her human eyesight) couldn't see much beyond twenty feet. Most of the group seemed not to mind that, however, and Caleb shot her a knowing look. She sighed. 'Suppose I'll just get used to it.'

Jester hopped out of the boat first, while Yasha and Fjord politely waited for everyone else to get back. The half orc dragged the vessel further onto the sandy shore, as if fearful the water would somehow snatch it away from them.

The sand crunched softly under several pair of feet, slowly turning into short, grayish grass. Mist followed them around like in an old-fashioned horror movie, and yet Beauregard slowly relaxed at how comfortable the rest seemed to be in this place.

The group (very loudly) made their way over to a small clearing circled by a bunch of wilted pine trees. Off to the side Beau noticed some stones laying, most likely some kind of a ruin. It wasn't uncommon in the empire – thousands of years passed since it has been established, and ruins piled upon ruins, archeologists practically swarmed with work.

In the middle of the clearing she recognized a bonfire pit carefully secured by stones, with a few improvised benches around it, some were just logs, one – a row of stones unmistakedly taken from the nearby ruin, a wood plank propped up by similiar stones, and, at last, even a tree stump.

"Let the fun begin!" Mollymauk bellowed without a care in the world, stretching like a cat, his tail swishing in what could presumably be excitement. He took a six pack of beer, along with a bottle of vodka out of his backpack, and carefully placed the items on the ground.

Hesitantly, Caleb, of all people, opened his bag, adding a bottle of whiskey to the pile. Nott tugged on his sleeve, which made his expression even more uneasy. He sighed, and reached back into the bag, this time revealing a bottle of vine with a label she would recognize everywhere. 'The Lionett vineyards, finest in the empire!' it read, and she suddenly got the urge to vomit.

Her dread was cut short by Jester inviting her to sit on a bench with her, which she gladly accepted, plopping down next to Jester while the boys of the group worked on starting a campfire.

"Thank you." She said after a moment of comfortable silence, and the blue tiefling cocked her head a little.

"You're welcome!" She grinned. "What are you thanking me for?"

"I guess just treating me like this. Inviting me to hang. You know-" Beau rubbed the back of her neck, staring at the ground. "I can be a really mean bitch."

"Oh, I've seen worse." The girl assured, her smile not faltering even a bit, but her eyes seemed not to match the expression quite good enough.

She didn't ponder on it much, though, because in avoiding eye contact with Jester, she noticed something slightly more concerning.

While Yasha, Molly and Fjord have gone to collect wood for the fire, Caleb seemed to casually slip close to the little amount of sticks and branches that already laid there, and touched it with one hand, apparently on accident. In the blink of an eye, a flame sprang to life, turning into a quite satisfying bonfire in a matter of seconds.

Beau opened her mouth to say something, but bit her tongue. She blinked a few times, but the flame was still there. She didn't see Caleb use a lighter, or a match. It was just his hand, and then there was fire.

"Earth to Beauuuu!" Jester waved a hand before Beau's face, sobering her up a little. "Something wrong?" She asked casually, although she seemed to be concerned.

"Perfect. I'm fine." She shook her head, and hoped she came off as convincing enough. She was going to talk about this with the other human.

-

"How about 'two truths and a lie'?" Jester proposed, a little tipsy, and everyone groaned in unison.

"We play that everytime we're here!" Nott protested, screeching just a little.

"Welll... It would help Beau get to know us a little more!" The tiefling argued.

"Suppose one round can't hurt..." Fjord chimed in, looking at the others.

Mollymauk nodded enthusiastically, neither Caleb nor Yasha (Gorgeous Yasha, now lit by the warmth of the nearby flames) seemed to mind.

"Anyone who guesses wrong has to take a swig of vodka. To make things interesting." Molly added.

"Excellent!" Jester clapped her hands together, jumping in the air and making the bench they shared sway dangerously "I can go first! I haven't read any books besides romance novels, I've seen my mom fuck someone, I worship a forbidden god!"

Beau struggled a little, but eventually picked the 'mom' option, only to have the burn of vodka in her throat a moment later.

"That's honestly really fucked up, Jester." She whispered to her, but the girl only giggled in response.

Mollymauk claimed the next turn. "I actually learned how to write and read a year ago, I've fucked a hundred people, I have 'sweetheart' tattoed accross my ass." He grinned, as if any of those things were subjects of his pride.

She picked 'hundred people' and wasn't wrong. She and Jester watched with amusement as Nott, Caleb and Fjord downed their drinks.

Fjord agreed to go next. "I've never been to an amusement park, I can lick my elbow, my favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla." His were definietly a lot more tame, and all of them, except Jester, had guessed wrong.

"It's lemon!" She shouted.

Yasha spoke up next. "I have a notebook with pressed flowers, I'm actually Molly's sister, I've never seen a pig."

It was easy enough nobody found it a challenge.

"You've never seen a pig? Seriously?" Beau asked, a little intrigued, and Yasha flushed, looking down.

"I'm from Xhorhas. Where I come from, animals and plants are much different." She explained, and Beau nodded. It was an interesting thing to know about a girl she was trying to take to bed. Or for a coffee.

Nott took her turn, making a quizzical expression. "I've eaten a child before, I have a boyfriend, I hate being a goblin."

Beau picked the 'boyfriend' option (sure, it was a little cruel) and downed a drink seconds later, with a question about a poor child's fate at the back of her head.

"I'm actually black haired, not a redhead, I've never been rollerskating, I sell alcohol to kids." Caleb said, being as vague as ever. He was most definietly hiding something, and Beau was set on finding out.

Everyone guessed right, the red hair was obviously natural. Caleb didn't seem disappointed. His goal was not to make this challenging whatsoever.

Beau's turn came eventually, and her tongue felt like lead in her mouth as she tried to come up with something.

After a long while, she said "I'm not a virgin, I have a black belt in two martial arts disciplines, I've stolen before."

It was a mix – most of them picked wrong - Jester smiled, whispering 'you have one so far' into her ear and grinning as Yasha, Nott, Fjord and Molly downed their drinks.

Beau relaxed once again, the feeling of alcohol in her system once again making her feel invincible. And for the first time in her life, she seemed to really belong somewhere.

-

In the darkness of the pine forest, a girl with brown, buzzcut hair grinned, dark eyes flashing dangerously, and began to cast sending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I appreciate any feedback I get on this work, it's a huge encouragement for me.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter.  
> I do appreciate all comments and criticism, also if there are any errors, you should correct me, I'm not a native English speaker.   
> (Rest assured, it'll get dark real fast)


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